Spring in Texas…

There is no time better than to be in Texas than in the spring in our opinion. When the last of the geese are heading north and the night air shifts from the sounds of honking geese heading north to the sounds of crickets chirping in the warmer evening air everyone here knows spring is in the air.

In the Bryan/College Station, Texas the first signs of spring are when you  see the Daffodils and Paper White Narcissus blooming followed by the flowering pears and redbud trees. All of this is just a sneak preview of the explosion of wildflowers that are just around the corner. As long as there is a good rainy winter you can expect the wildflowers in Texas to be very showy.

As is the case this year… After a lengthy Texas drought last year most areas are now in a surplus mode of rainfall for this year. As a result the wildflowers are started to explode onto the scene. The fields are dotted with the red of the Indian Paintbrush only to be interspersed with the blue Texas Bluebonnets – the Texas State Flower and the yellow Coreopsis.

Driving back from Austin, Texas this past weekend we were treated to field after field of wildflowers. We would occasionally stop and take in the sights, sounds and smells that spring has brought to this area. We love spotting the variety of flowers that are emerging mixed in with the paintbrush and bluebonnets. There are Mexican Blankets, Phlox, Verbena’s, and other native flowers that are just now coming into their own.

Yet there are also invasives that always threaten the native species that abound. This year the bastard mustard is everywhere and found in thick stands. I worry that this taller wildflower or weed as it should be called (a weed is an “unwanted wildflower”) is abundant this year and I only hope it is a result of the drought combined with the wet winter that allowed it to explode. Hopefully it will not take out any of the more desirable wildflowers.

If you ever come to Texas to visit try to make sure to do so in the spring… by far and away the very best time of the year to visit the great Lone Star State…